Foldable frame

ABSTRACT

A foldable frame includes: inverted U-shaped rods aligned in a folding direction, each inverted U-shaped rod having opposite first and second upright portions; and first and second connecting units. Each of the first connecting units interconnects the first upright portions of two adjacent ones of the inverted U-shaped rods. Each of the second connecting units interconnects the second upright portions of two adjacent ones of the inverted U-shaped rods. Each of the first and second connecting units includes two connecting rods that intersect and that are pivoted to each other, and that are respectively pivotable with respect to the respective ones of the first and second upright portions of two adjacent ones of the inverted U-shaped rods, and two sleeves respectively and slidably sleeved on the respective ones of the first and second upright portions of the two adjacent ones of the inverted U-shaped rods, and respectively pivoted to the connecting rods.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a foldable frame for a tent, more particularlyto a foldable frame including inverted U-shaped rods and sleeves sleevedrespectively on the U-shaped rods.

2. Description of the Related Art

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional foldable frame 1 is shown toinclude: a plurality of rod units 11 spaced apart in a first direction,each rod unit 11 including a pair of upright rods 111 (only one uprightrod 111 of each rod unit 11 is shown in FIG. 1) spaced apart in a seconddirection transverse the first direction; a plurality of connectingunits 12, each of which is disposed between and connected to the uprightrods 111 of two adjacent ones of the rod units 11; a plurality ofstretch rod units 13, each of which is disposed between and connected tothe upright rods 111 of two adjacent ones of the rod units 11; and aplurality of rollers 15, each of which is mounted on a bottom end of arespective upright rod 111.

Each upright rod 111 is formed with a guiding groove 112. Eachconnecting unit 12 includes a pair of pivot rods 121 crisscrossing andpivoted to each other through a pivot axle 125, a pair of upper pivotpins 122, studs 123 protruding respectively from the pivot rods 121 anddisposed slidably in the guiding groves 112, and a pair of lower pivotpins 124. Each pivot rod 121 is pivoted to a respective one of theupright rods 111 of the rod units 11 through a respective one of theupper pivot pins 122, and to a respective one of the pivot rods 121 ofan adjacent one of the connecting units 12 through one of the lowerpivot pins 124.

Each stretch rod unit 13 includes a pair of stretching rods 131 that arepivoted to each other through a pivot pin 132 and that are respectivelypivoted to adjacent ones of the upright rods 111.

When the pair of the stretching rods 131 of each stretch rod unit 13 areunfolded, the foldable frame 1 is disposed at an extended state. Whenthe pivot pins 132 are moved upward, the stretching rods 131 of thestretch rod units 13 are moved toward a folded state. As such, theconnecting units 12 are also folded at the same time, and the studs 123of the connecting units 12 slide downward along the guiding grooves 112.

However, during folding operation, the pivot pins 132 are required to bemoved upward one by one so as to permit folding of the connecting rods121, which is relatively inconvenient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a foldableframe capable of overcoming the aforesaid drawback associated with theprior art.

Accordingly, a foldable frame of the present invention for a tentcomprises: a plurality of inverted U-shaped rods aligned in a foldingdirection, each of the inverted U-shaped rods having opposite first andsecond upright portions; and a plurality of first and second connectingunits. Each of the first connecting units interconnects the firstupright portions of two adjacent ones of the inverted U-shaped rods.Each of the second connecting units interconnects the second uprightportions of two adjacent ones of the inverted U-shaped rods. Each of thefirst and second connecting units includes a pair of connecting rodsthat intersect and that are pivoted to each other at an intersectiontherebetween and that are respectively pivotable with respect to therespective ones of the first and second upright portions of the twoadjacent ones of the inverted U-shaped rods, and a pair of sleeves thatare respectively and slidably sleeved on the respective ones of thefirst and second upright portions of the two adjacent ones of theinverted U-shaped rods, and that are respectively pivoted to theconnecting rods.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent in the following detailed description of the preferredembodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional foldable frame disposed atan expanded state;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view to illustrate how twopivoted connecting rods of the conventional foldable frame are connectedto an upright rod through extension of a stud into a guiding groove inthe upright rod;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a foldableframe for a tent according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the preferred embodiment disposed at anexpanded state;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary partly exploded perspective view to illustratehow a connecting rod is pivoted to a sleeve on an upright rod portion ofthe preferred embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view to illustrate how aconnecting rod is pivoted to an upright rod portion of the preferredembodiment; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic view to illustrate a state where the preferredembodiment is disposed at a folded state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 6, the preferred embodiment of a foldable frame2 according to the present invention is adapted for supporting a canopy20 of a tent, and includes: a plurality of inverted U-shaped rods 4aligned in a folding direction, each of the inverted U-shaped rods 4being provided with rollers 32 and having opposite first and secondupright portions 31 that are opposite to each other in a transversedirection relative to the folding direction; and a plurality of firstand second connecting units 6, 6′, each of the first connecting units 6interconnecting the first upright portions 31 of two adjacent ones ofthe inverted U-shaped rods 4, each of the second connecting units 6′interconnecting the second upright portions 31 of two adjacent ones ofthe inverted U-shaped rods 4, each of the first and second connectingunits 6, 6′ including a pair of connecting rods 61 that intersect andthat are pivoted to each other at an intersection therebetween through apivot pin 62 and that are respectively pivotable with respect to therespective ones of the first and second upright portions 31 of the twoadjacent ones of the inverted U-shaped rods 4, and a pair of sleeves 5that are respectively and slidably sleeved on the respective ones of thefirst and second upright portions 31 of the two adjacent ones of theinverted U-shaped rods 4, and that are respectively pivoted to theconnecting rods 61. In this embodiment, each connecting rod 61 has anupper end 611 (see FIG. 6) pivoted to the respective one of the firstand second upright portions 31 through a pivot pin 71, and a lower end612 (see FIG. 5) pivoted to a pivot shaft 511 on the respective sleeve 5through a screw 72.

At least one of the first and second upright portions 31 of each of theinverted U-shaped rods 4 is formed with a retaining hole 312 (see FIG.5). In this embodiment, each of the first and second upright portions 31of a frontmost one of the inverted U-shaped rods 4 is formed with theretaining hole 312. The foldable frame 2 further includes a positioningunit that includes two positioning pins 8, each of which is insertableinto the retaining hole 312 in a respective one of the first and secondupright portions 31 of the frontmost one of the inverted U-shaped rods 4so as to be disposed underneath and to abut against a respective one ofthe sleeves 5 (see FIG. 4) of a respective one of the first and secondconnecting units 6, 6′ when the foldable frame 2 is positioned at anextended state, thereby preventing downward sliding movement of thesleeves 5 on the respective ones of the first and second uprightportions 31 of the respective one of the inverted U-shaped rods 4.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 6, in this embodiment, each of the invertedU-shaped rods 4 further includes an upper portion 41 connecteddetachably to the first and second upright portions 31 through fasteners43.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 7, when the foldable frame 2 is desired to befolded from an extended state (see FIG. 4) to a folded state (see FIG.7), the two positioning pins 8 are removed from the retaining holes 312,and the frontmost one of the inverted U-shaped rods 4 is subsequentlypushed in the folding direction to thereby result in downward slidingmovement of the sleeves 5 together with the lower ends 612 of theconnecting rods 61 along the first and second upright portions 31 of theinverted U-shaped rod 4, and in simultaneous movement of the invertedU-shaped rods 4 toward each other.

With the inclusion of the sleeves 5 in the foldable frame 2 of thisinvention, folding of the foldable frame 2 is easier and more convenientas compared to the aforesaid conventional foldable frame.

While the present invention has been described in connection with whatis considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isunderstood that this invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included withinthe spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompassall such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

1. A foldable frame for a tent comprising: a plurality of invertedU-shaped rods aligned in a folding direction, each of said invertedU-shaped rods having opposite first and second upright portions; and aplurality of first and second connecting units, each of said firstconnecting units interconnecting said first upright portions of twoadjacent ones of said inverted U-shaped rods, each of said secondconnecting units interconnecting said second upright portions of twoadjacent ones of said inverted U-shaped rods, each of said first andsecond connecting units including a pair of connecting rods thatintersect and that are pivoted to each other at an intersectiontherebetween and that are respectively pivotable with respect to therespective ones of said first and second upright portions of said twoadjacent ones of said inverted U- shaped rods, and a pair of sleevesthat are respectively and slidably sleeved on the respective ones ofsaid first and second upright portions of said two adjacent ones of saidinverted U-shaped rods, and that are respectively pivoted to saidconnecting rods.
 2. The foldable frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein atleast one of said first and second upright portions of each of saidinverted U-shaped rods is formed with a retaining hole, said foldableframe further comprising a positioning unit that includes at least onepositioning pin that is insertable into said retaining hole so as to bedisposed underneath and to abut against a respective one of said sleevesof a respective one of said first and second connecting units when saidfoldable frame is positioned at an extended state, thereby preventingdownward sliding movement of the respective one of said sleeves on therespective one of said first and second upright portions of therespective one of said inverted U-shaped rods.